Harness Highlights: Ake Svanstedt Eyes Hambletonian Repeat

by Frank Carulli

July 30, 2018

Trainer-driver Ake Svanstedt won his first Hambletonian last year when Perfect Spirit's number was put up through disqualification. He might not need as much racing luck to repeat in this year's trotting classic.

Svanstedt will send out Future Pool wagering favorite Six Pack (3-1) in the $1 million race this Saturday, Aug. 4 at the Meadowlands. Six Pack earned his spot at the head of the 3-year-old class, winning five of six starts this year and sustaining a first-over bid from post 8 to win in his final prep race, stopping the timer in a personal-best 1:50 in the faster of two Stanley Dancer Memorial divisions.

But Six Pack will need his A-game to defeat a crowded field of worthy challengers. Atlanta, featured in last week's column, could become the first filly this century to win the world's most prestigious race. Hall of Fame trainer Jimmy Takter could have several starters, including stakes winner Wolfgang (Yannick Gingras), who ran a personal-best 1:51.2 to win a division of the Dancer. Tim Tetrick, a four-time Driver of the Year, will seek his second Hambletonian victory behind Crystal Fashion, winner of the Earl Beal Memorial at Pocono Downs in 1:51.4 and first or second in all seven starts this year.

Post time for the Meadowlands card will be at noon EST. The 93rd Hambletonian will air during the CBS Sports Network's live coverage between 4-5:30 pm.

DORSODURO HANOVER BIDS 'ADIOS' TO RIVALS

Dorsoduro Hanover, a surprise second at 57-1 in the Meadowlands Pace last month, validated that effort with a pace-controlling victory in the $400,000 final of the Delvin Miller Adios Pace for the Orchids last Saturday at the The Meadows.

Matt Kakaley was in the bike as Dorsoduro Hanover blasted to the lead through a :26.3 opening quarter mile, slowed it down to the half in :55.1 and kept Adios elimination winners American History and Hitman Hill at bay for a 1-1/4-length victory in 1:50.1. He paid $4.40 to win as the race favorite.

"We got a big breather there in the second quarter. I knew he would be tough off that," said Kakaley. "He’s showing everybody that he’s a top colt."

Dorsoduro Hanover improved to 7-24 with a $575,803 bankroll for trainer Ron Burke and co-owners Purnell and Libby Silva, Weaver Bruscemi LLC, and Wingfield Five. For Burke, the perennial leading trainer in North America, it marked his first Adios victory, though he was an assistant to his father, Mickey, when May June Character won the 2007 Adios.

"We probably spent about $10 million chasing this, and we finally got one," said Burke. "It’s a great feeling to enjoy it with our staff and our core group."

Share This Article

You May Also Like

8.7.2017

Ron Burke was honored at the Meadowlands Satuday as the Championship Meet's leading trainer.
He probably would trade all the wins for the one that got away.
Burke, harness racing's all-time winningest conditioner, believed he had won his first Hambletonian when What The Hill crossed the finish line first in the world-renowned, $1 million race. Then he waited several minutes -- seemingly hours -- as the judges watched the replay and disqualified the 3-year-old trotter from victory for interference in the stretch.
What The Hill's loss as the first disqualfied winner in 92 runnings of the Hambletonian turned into Perfect Spirit's gain for trainer-driver Ake Svanstedt.
Perfect Sprit set the pace in the one-turn mile and held off trip-sitting favorite Devious Man and late-running Enterprise to save the runner-up spot and, ultimately, the victory before 18,356 stunned fans. He paid $17 to win.
"I know you have to be very lucky like we were today," said winning owner Lennart Agren. "It can end very quickly, so you have to live in the moment right now."
In a brief moment with reporters, Hall of Fame driver David Miller needed few words to describe the feeling in the Team Burke camp: "It was a tough break," he said.
What The Hill followed the leader from an ideal spot in the pocket through a 56-second half-mile and 1:25.1 split at the 3/4-mile mark. Looking for running room in the stretch, Miller guided the 17-1 longshot off the rail, bothering Guardian Angel AS oh so slightly and causing the tiring rival to break stride. Because Guardian Angel AS finished eighth, What The Hill was placed ninth and out of the money.
Svanstedt, 58, a major force in U.S. racing since he arrived from Sweden four years ago, was in the midst of an unforgettable afternoon. He guided Resolve ($7) to a dominating front-end score in the $303,050 John Cashman Memorial earlier on the card and won his third stakes race behind Ice Attraction in the $30,000 Dyenna following the Hambletonian.
Burke and Miller didn't come away empty-handed. Check Six (Yannick Gingras) sprung a 36-1 shocker for Burke in the $224,400 Sam McKee Memorial for free-for-all pacers, covering 1-1/8 miles in 2:02.1, while Miller guided favorite Blazing Britches to victory in the $113,950 Shady Daisy.
The rest of the day belonged to Hall of Fame trainer Jimmy Takter, who sent out winning trotters Ariana G (Gingras) in the $500,000 Hambletonian Oaks, Manchego (Gingras) in the $330,800 Jim Doherty Memorial, Pasithea Face S (Tim Tetrick) in the $176,250 John R. Steele Memorial, You Know You Do (Gingras) in the $360,650 Peter Haughton Memorial and pacer Pure Country (Mark MacDonald) in the $200,400 Lady Liberty.

7.24.2018

Rick Zeron's best kept secret has been made public. The trainer revealed last weekend that he plans to run star filly Atlanta against the boys in the $1 million Hambletonian Aug. 4 at the Meadowlands.
Atlanta has won all five starts this year for regular driver Scott Zeron. She defeated older male trotters in her seasonal debut at the Meadowlands in 1:52, set a Vernon Downs all-age track record in 1:50.3 in the Emprie Breeders Classic and dominated in a division of the New York Sire Stakes at Vernon most recently to improve to 9-for-14 with a $313,309 bankroll.
"Scott and I decided this about a month ago, but we just kind of kept it all to ourselves and mulled everything all over and did all the right do's and don'ts," Rick Zeron told Mark McKelvie of Woodbine Communications.
Harness fans reacted quickly to the news, making Atlanta the 3-to-1 second favorite in the Hambletonian Future Wager Pool #2 that closed Sunday. Atlanta will try to become the first filly since Continentalvictory in 1996 to win the world's most prestigious race. Co-owners Crawford Farms, Holland Racing Stable, Howard Taylor and Brad Grant could have opted for the $500,000 Hambletonian Oaks but Zeron said they "are on board" with the decision to run in the Hambletonian.
EVENIN OF PLEASURE ROMPS IN GERRITY
Evenin of Pleasure swept to a convincing victory in the $260,000 Joe Gerrity Jr. Memorial Pace at Saratoga Raceway last Saturday to become harness racing's newest millionaire.
Joe Bongiorno was in the bike as the hard-hitting, 8-year-old blew past Rockin Ron near the 3/4-mile mark and won by 5-1/2 lengths in 1:49.2, the third fastest mile in the track's history. Rockin Ron (Yannick Gingras) set a rapid, contested half-mile pace of :53.4, setting up Evenin of Pleasure's run at his 33rd lifetime victory. Defending champ Bit Of A Legend A (Jordan Stratton) raced close-up in the pocket and finished second behind the 2-to-1 winner.
Evenin of Pleasure won four open company races at Yonkers Raceway since May, all from post 6 outward, heading into the Gerrity. He is trained by Jenn Bongiorno for owner Gestion Blais, Inc.